The law unsealed

4. Little profiting under the Gospel, and not growing in knowledge and practise; many a Sabbath is thus profaned, few getting or seeking the blessing of it, or on it.

4. Little profiting under the Gospel, and not growing in knowledge and practise; many a Sabbath is thus prophaned, few getting or seeking the blessing of it, or on it.

5. Going to the fields and visiting of Neighbours to put off a piece of time, that so much time may be saved on other days of the Week, wherein many men think they have more to do; and not seeking to edify, or to be edified when they visit. Certainly by this going abroad and running up and down the streets unnecessarily, ye indispose your selves, ye offend others, and tempt them to follow you, ye slight either duties in your families, or in secret, or it may be both, in a great measure; I suppose that if ye made conscience of these, there would not be so much time to go abroad; Take some other day for recreating your selves; If ye say, ye have then somewhat else to do: And have ye nothing to do this day? Or will ye take more boldly from Gods day, then from your own? Is Sacrilege less then taking what is your own? What if all did so gad abroad? (And it may be they have no less reason) What a Sabbath day would we have? There is a remarkable word, Exod. 16. 29. that on the Sabbath none might go out of his place, which though it be not to be understood as restraining exercises of piety, or works of necessity and mercy, as we showed before; yet it would seem to be the meaning of the words, that on that which we call taking the air, and on visiting, there was a restraint thereby intended.

5. Going to the fields and visiting of Neighbours to put off a piece of time, that so much time may be saved on other dayes of the Week, wherein many men think they have more to do; and not seeking to edifie, or to be edified when they visit. Certainly by this going abroad and runing up and down the streets unnecessarily, ye indispose your selves, ye offend others, and tempt them to follow you, ye slight either duties in your families, or in secret, or it may be both, in a great measure; I suppose that if ye made conscience of these, there would not be so much time to go abroad; Take some other day for recreating your selves; If ye say, ye have then somewhat else to do: And have ye nothing to do this day? Or wil ye take more boldly from Gods day, then from your own? Is Sacriledge less then taking what is your own? What if all did so gad abroad? (And it may be they have no less reason) What a Sabbath day would we have? There is a remarkable word,